Apple Of Discord
by LifeOfRed
Summary: AU; The destruction of relationships all because one has bitten into the Apple of Discord. And left a trail of jealousy, hatred and clamor. A fine crack appears in love. DxS


Chapter 1

"I'll repay every cent, I promise!"

"Sam, stop worrying. Take care of your mother and when you need help, don't hesitate and come straight to me, okay?"

The aforementioned Sam sighed in return, looked down at her lap, and bunched her hands on her summer dress. When she looked up her eyes were moistened. A sob, unbeknownst to her, released from her throat and she hurried towards her long time friend Valerie, and embraced her. Life had become so bleak for her. Her mother's illness, the shortage of money in the house, and the job that she lost a few weeks ago that her mother had no clue about. All of these problems had taken its toll on her.

Valerie Grey, an African-American woman with dark brown hair which was naturally curled was straightened enough to give her wavy locks, had been Sam's best friend since 6th grade. When there was no one sensible enough to befriend the daughter of the woman who cleaned their houses, Valerie had taken a liking to the naturally silent girl who never lifted her head for the fear that everyone would see the dreams those stormy grey eyes held. For the fear that people would pity her upbringing.

Ever since Val had asked the girl if she wanted to attend her birthday party, they had been inseparable. They even went to the same community college, which Sam had to drop out of because her mother's health was depleting. The girl had never complained and had taken care of her mother.

Valerie always admired the girl's bravery and courage. Nothing broke Sam, but when her friend had come to her house in the middle of the night with tears in her eyes and a whispered plea, 'Help me', Val couldn't turn her away, and she listened as Sam told her the story about how she lost her job as a waitress because she had to juggle two jobs and still be home enough to see to her mother's health. She said that she was low on money and her mother wasn't getting any better. The doctors suggested surgery but she didn't have the money to pay for it. Val had rubbed her back and given her some money from her savings.

"Sam, you are not a hugging person!" Valerie let out a laugh, rejoicing over the fact that Sam's usually brittle eyes had immediately softened, but feeling guilty at the same time because she hadn't thought to help her before she even asked.

Sam shook her head and smiled, really smiled after such a long time, "I don't care. Thank you so much, Val. You don't know how much this means to me,"

Of course she knew, at least she could guess, but she didn't say anything.

Sam backed away and let out a watery laugh and placed the money in her satchel. She turned towards Val and looked like she was about to embrace her again but thought better of it and said, "Thank you. I'll repay you as soon as I get a new job." Val waved her away and Sam made her way outside towards her old and beat up Chevrolet. Many a times she had thought of selling the car but decided against it. She had to get her mother's medicines and she couldn't do that by foot since the medical store was out of town.

She drove home with a happier spirit. Finally she had taken a start somewhere. The waters were rough for her, but she could get the necessities for her Mom and then try for a new job somewhere. She would work harder and get the money for her mother's surgery.

Her home was an old one story cottage with two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchenette, and a backyard with enough room to place a few plants. She entered her home and pulled off her yellow scrubs on the mat. She kneaded the back of her neck to ease the crick that was forming there. She made it towards her room and placed her satchel on her bed and went to check on her mother.

On the way, she saw her reflection on the wall mirror. She looked ragged. Her normally wavy black hair looked dull, and she swore she saw some white strands in it. Her face looked ashen and pale. Her mouth pulled into a heavy frown. She never really got to fuss about her image like normal twenty-one year olds, but she didn't care. She had bigger problems to face.

She made it to her mother's room and saw that her light was on. She came in without knocking and saw her mother sitting on her bed with a photo album in her hand. She looked weak and her red hair had lost the fire in it. Pamela looked up and saw her daughter come in towards her side and sat down beside her. She placed her arms around her daughter and smiled.

"Sammy look, I was looking through some old photos..." she said with a slight quiver in her voice.

Sam made a face at the pet name, but didn't protest. She saw the pictures and groaned, "Mom, did you have to plaster my naked butt in the album?"

Pamela smiled and spoke in a condescending tone, "Hush, sweetie, it's such a cute butt." Sam laughed as she got into her mother's embrace.

"But that wasn't what I was saying. I was looking around in the pictures and saw one of me and...your aunt," she tried to smile but saw a heavy frown settled on Sam's face. She pulled back, "What's wrong?" she asked.

Sam pulled her eyebrows together and scowled, "Why are you moving back towards the past?"

Pam sighed and closed her eyes, "Have I ever told you the whole story?"

Sam pulled her knees up and rubbed a hand on her face, "No, and I don't want to hear how your parents abandoned you when you needed them the most!"

She looked so sad with those dark shadows under her eyes that shouldn't be on her face. Pamela pulled her close and eased them both on her bed, "Your aunt and I were neighbors and best friends..." she began but Sam pulled away.

"Mom, please, don't do this to yourself!" she pleaded. Her own eyes watered as she saw her mother fighting back the tears.

"I have to, Sam," her mother whispered and Sam had to give in.

"Your aunt and I..." she fought the small waver in her voice and swallowed the lump in her throat, "We were best friends. She was the daughter of the local pastor and my parents simply adored her. I was the child that had a wild streak and she was the child who was cautious. When her parents died she had no close relatives to take her in. She was 10 at the time. My parents adopted her. They always told me that I should be more like her. That I should think before I acted. Even your aunt tried warning me, but I never listened.

"When I was eighteen, I met your father. He was everything I ever wanted in a man. He was kind, had ambitions, and said that he would take care of me. After that I got pregnant. When my parents found out, they turned me out. Your father wasn't happy, but he still married me. I had to drop out of college. Money was a luxury I didn't have. Your aunt never gave up on me though. She used to send me money every month without my parent's knowledge. I tried to find a job but gave up when I lost the baby after a few weeks of my marriage, your father turned his back on me after that. I knew that he wanted to leave.

"A few years later, I found out that your aunt got married to my parent's choice of a person. He was a business tycoon's son who was going to inherit the business. Even after the marriage she still tried to send me money. Her husband found out though, and threatened to divorce her if she kept on with this. I told her that she should take care of her own family and, instead of her cutting me off, I left. It was fortunate that your father got a job out of the town and I was able to move out with him. After a few years, I found out that after several miscarriages, she gave birth to a boy. I sent her a post card without an address. That was the last contact I had with her.

"After that, I got pregnant with you. Your father didn't like that, and after you were born, he left me for a younger woman who worked in his office. I tried raising you myself. But then...but then I-I..." she broke off, tears streaming down her face.

Sam knew what happened after that, her mother got sick and Sam had to put her life on hold so she could take care of them both.

Pamela continued with a wistful smile as she stared past Sam's shoulder, "And even after all that, I never resented her."

She didn't know that she was crying until she heard a sob latch out from her throat. She wiped away the tears. She only knew that her father had abandoned her after her birth, her grandparents had disowned her mother, and that they had an adopted daughter who was taken in by her grandparents to set an example for her mother. All of this was so new to her. She asked the question that had been nagging her since her mother had told her the truth, "Why are you telling me all this now?" Her voice sounded even broken to her own ears.

Her mother turned her teal eyed gaze to her daughter and whispered, "I need to talk to her, Sam."

Sam left her to do just that. She knew that this wasn't a good idea, but she didn't have the heart to object. As she was closing her mother's door to give her some privacy, she heard her talking on the phone. She heard her broken whispered voice, "Maddie, I'm dying."

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

"Mr. Meisner is here to see you, sir."

Cerulean blue eyes looked up from his laptop towards his secretary who was standing in the doorway. He waved his hand at her to let the person in.

An old man with thinning hair and a clipboard in hand came in and sat down on the seat facing the mahogany desk. He started wringing his hands because the person sitting in front of the desk was still typing away on the laptop.

Eventually, Meisner spoke up, "Ah sir?"

The man's eyes finally fell onto the person in question. "Yes, Mr. Meisner?"

"I wanted to speak with you about the final hour meeting. We've designed the security software and you...Ah...wanted me to review it with you first. So...?"

Recognition sparked in his cerulean eyes, "Yes, yes. I apologize, I was just under a lot of stress lately. It must have slipped my mind."

Meisner smiled at that, "I can see that, Daniel...sir. Sorry, it's just strange to call you 'sir' all of a sudden."

Daniel gave him a closed lipped smile, "Not to much of a problem, I presume." Although it was a problem. After inheriting his father's company he had known that it would take a lot of time for people to hold him in the highest regard as they did with his father, but he had gotten his internship from this company and, at that time he was just eighteen, and he had become a sort of apprentice to the locals. And now he was the CEO of his father's company and he was having a hard time being accepted as a chief executive and not a fumbling teenager.

Upon hearing this, his father had choked up, asking him who were the people who didn't respect him, that he'd see to the matter himself. Danny had waved him off though, saying that he couldn't count on his father for everything.

He saw the old man shifting uncomfortably at his silence and Danny decided to cut short both their suffering.

"Yes, Mr. Meisner?" he prodded.

Meisner cleared his throat and handed Danny the clipboard with the statistics. Danny looked it over and voiced his concerns. Mr. Meisner, ever the brown nosed person, cleared all his doubts. When Danny handed him the clipboard back, he straightened and said, "Mr. Masters didn't have any doubts with the project. Our group had been working on it for a while. However, he did say that you might, so I should clear it with you, too."

Danny clenched his fist under the desk and gave him a brisk nod. He hated the fact that these people had to remind him that he was the novice and that they considered him under them, but he wasn't going to voice his insecurities. That would only make him look like more of an amateur. Just then his secretary knocked on his door and entered, "Sir, Ms. Henry is here to see you. Shall I tell her that you're busy?"

Glad for the distraction, Danny shook his head, "Let her in."

Starlet Claire Henry, in all her fashionable glory. In a ruffled cap sleeve dress, with a scoop neck shift, and ballet flats. Her silver onyx tops looking exquisite with her dark blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She pulled her sunglasses on top of her head and smiled through those pale pink lips, saying, "I didn't know that you'd be busy, _Daniel_. I'll go if so..." She turned to leave and Danny hid a smirk at her evasiveness, answering after some time, "No, you can stay, _Starlet. _Mr. Meisner was leaving anyway." He looked pointedly towards Mr. Meisner who stood up to leave.

After he left, Star let go all pretense of a respected lady and came rushing towards Danny. He twisted in his seat and she settled herself on his lap, removed his glasses and kissed him. He tasted cherry on her lips and opened her mouth with the flick of his tongue and plunged in.

She moaned and moved her hands from his face to his midnight black hair and grinded hard on his lap. He moved away from her mouth to kiss on her neck. But then settled back. She kept grinding and nipped his earlobe and then started his kissing down his chin to his neck.

Danny spoke, a little breathless from their make-out session, "Star, we're in the office. Dad'll kill me!"

She moved away from his neck and attacked his lips, "I don't care!"

He settled his hands on her hips and moved her away from him, which was a hard task in itself.

"I care. I'm on schedule." His eyes roamed her face, which was turning a lovely shade of pink.

She groaned and settled on the crook on his neck as he pulled her close.

"Why can't you put me on your schedule. We never got that date that you mentioned," she complained with a pout. Danny just gave a chuckle.

"Tomorrow. Promise. I've got a meeting today, but you're on my schedule for tomorrow evening and...all night," his voice got a husky note in it and Star giggled. She stood up from his lap and fixed her hair. As she turned to leave, she said over his shoulder, "I got some great lingerie for tomorrow night. Don't miss out on me, big boy."

Danny let out a groan as she laughed. But he was grinning when she left. He just turned back to his work when his cell phone starting vibrating alerting him of an incoming call. He looked at the caller's ID and saw his mother. He picked up the phone,

"Yeah, Mom?"

She sounded like she'd been crying, "I want you to pick someone up from Elmerton, sweetie."

He couldn't really object when he knew that his mother was anguished by something. He left his office towards his car in the private parking lot and drove home.

* * *

**Well after such waiting I'm writing again. No thanks to you, Sonochu! **

**Anyway hope you enjoy this new story. I'm not going to abandon my other stories, but I had to get this out of my system.**

**A round of applause for my _mentor _(air quotes), Sonochu, who beta'd this chapter. Thanks bud!**

**Enjoy and Review (for the love of God, review!)**

**Love,**

**Red**


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